According to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman, point guard Darrion Strong-Moore and the Oklahoma Sooners are parting ways. The junior slid into a starting role after Jordan Woodard suffered a season ending injury. As the most experienced point guard remaining on the roster, Strong-Moore averaged 3.8 points while appearing in 29 games this past year.
However, it’s likely that Strong-Moore would struggle to find playing time moving forward. It’s no secret that head coach Lon Kruger favors young talent as Jordan Shepherd absorbed most of the minutes at the point. Adding Trae Young to Shepherd leaves Oklahoma with two underclassmen at the point guard position. Could Strong-Moore have pulled minutes from the youngsters expected to compete for the starting role?
In addition, the point guard continuously battled a shoulder injury from his junior college days. Forced to wear a brace most of the season, Strong-Moore’s should popped in and out of socket with regularity. Undergoing shoulder surgery this past week, the junior was expected to miss 4-5 months moving forward.
Looking first to heal and second to lend his talents to another university, Strong-Moore will sit out a year due to the transfer rule. He’ll then have one year of eligibility to make an impact with a new program.